Page 8 of A Sip of Sherry

I swallowed, the desire to agree without a second’s hesitation clawing at my throat.“If you haven’t noticed, I’m the event planner.People expect me to give a speech.”

“Then after the clock strikes midnight, and you ravish the crowd with your charm and wit, come find me.”

“I’m not a dog.”

Ben chuckled.“Never said you were, but you’ll still come.”

“Where?”

“The cellar.Ten minutes after midnight.”His eyes met mine, a deep dark intensity swallowing the shades of green.“Deal?”

“You’ll just have to wait and see.”I spun around before my body betrayed me and sashayed across the tasting room, knowing damn well his eyes followed my every step.

Chapter 4

Sherry

“There you are!”Rose exclaimed, linking her arm through mine and dragging me toward a table where Wyatt, her boyfriend since college, and our brother Rhone and his best friend Sutton were sitting.“We need a ruling,” she finished, her warm chestnut eyes bright with mischief.

I arched an eyebrow as I slid into the open chair at the head of the table.“On what, exactly?”

Wyatt smirked, leaning back in his chair, and crossing his hands behind his head.His tie was askew, though not yet tied around his head, but that was only a matter of time.“Settling a debate.Rose seems to think couples who have been together forever don’t need to do the whole kiss at midnight.Rhone and Sutton disagree.”

Rhone scoffed and crossed his arms.“It’s tradition.”

“Agreed,” Sutton said, mimicking Rhone and nodding, causing a dark brown strand to fall from her sleek ponytail.She quickly tucked it behind her ear before resuming the position.

Rose rolled her eyes and tapped the table in front of me.“Help me out here.Do long-term couples really need the big moment, or is it just an excuse for unattached people to kiss someone?”

“Are you two kissing at midnight?”I waved my finger between Wyatt and Rose.While I refused to date a coworker, these two did everything together, including both working for the vineyard.They were different, though.They’d been together for so long, through so much, their relationship was more like a foundation than a risk.They were together when grandpa was alive, before Mom and Dad unexpectedly retired and handed us the reins.

“Of course we’re kissing at midnight,” Wyatt said matter-of-factly.“But that’s not the point.”

“How is that not the point?”Rhone exclaimed.

“I have to go with Rhone on this one.Even if you’ve been together forever, it’s nice to default to romance, and what better excuse than midnight on New Year’s?”

“I told you we shouldn’t have asked her,” Wyatt said to Rose.“We should have asked Char.”

“Char from last year?Yes.Char this year?She and Brady have been kissing all night.What do you think she would have said?”Rose asked.

I glanced over to my older sister and her once enemy now lover, who was as much a brother to me as Rhone and Wyatt.Rose wasn’t lying.Their lips were attached, and Brady’s hand was shifting lower, lower… I liked to take credit since there was a real shift after she showed up at his Halloween party.

I diverted my attention to the small group before I witnessed something I couldn’t unsee.

I was happy for Char, even if a small part of me ached to have the weight of someone’s hand in mine as we sipped wine and chatted with guests, stole kisses between conversations and smiles from across the room.

It was an emotion that never really bothered me, but surfaced during weddings, slow songs, New Year’s Eve…

Wyatt draped his arm over Rose’s shoulder.“Amateurs, all of them.”

I picked up a glass of wine from a passing server and swirled the white liquid, determining it was our popular Pinot grigio.“Sounds like you’re just mad everyone is more romantic than you.”

“More romantic than me?Impossible.Besides, romance isn’t about forced traditions.It’s about knowing what your partner wants.Rose wants to make fun of everyone else making out around us.”

“Exactly!Midnight kisses are overrated.”

“They’re part of the magic that sets the tone for the year ahead,” Sutton said.

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